Summary: When it works well, the Galaxy
Note 10.1's S Pen functionality is impressive and reliable. However,
we'd like to see more emphasis on handwriting recognition. The quad-core
processor can surely handle this, and we'll be looking for it in the
next-generation Note device.
We found Samsung's 2011 Galaxy Note
an odd device: it was unwieldy for everyday use as a phone thanks to
its 5.3in. screen, and its clever S Pen input showed promise but didn't
quite deliver enough.
The 10.1in. Galaxy Note 10.1 also supports stylus input, and sits in direct competition with Samsung's Galaxy Tab 2
devices — although it's more expensive. The Wi-Fi only Galaxy Tab 2
10.1 currently sells for £264 (ex. VAT) SIM-free, while the Wi-Fi and 3G
version costs £349 (ex. VAT). The equivalent Galaxy Note 10.1 models
cost £335 and £420 (ex. VAT) respectively.
Design : The Galaxy Note 10.1 is very similar in appearance
to the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1. The distinctive pair of speaker grilles on the
front are a trademark, and their location is welcome since it means you
can't accidently cover them with your hands.
Our review sample's white screen bezel (there's also a grey version)
has silver (dark grey on the other version) edging that extends into the
back to frame the 5-megapixel rear camera. The majority of the
backplate is white (or grey), very shiny and probably prone to
scratching — although it doesn't attract fingerprints. It flexes a
little when pressed, but not enough to cause real concern.
The general look and feel doesn't match the quality of the
third-generation iPad or Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, for example,
although it's superior to that of low-end tablets. Considering the price
of the Galaxy Note 10.1, we expect better.
The 10.1in. screen delivers good viewing angles and is bright enough,
but the resolution, at 1,280 by 800 pixels or 149 pixels per inch
(ppi), is disappointing. Asus manages 1,920 by 1,200 (224ppi) on its
Transformer Pad Infinity, while Apple delivers 2,048 by 1,536 pixels in a
9.7in. screen (264ppi) on the third-generation iPad. Samsung's flagship
smartphone, the Galaxy S III,
delivers a similar resolution — 1,280 by 720 pixels — in a much smaller
4.8in. screen, giving more than double pixel the density at 306ppi (but
not as high as the iPhone 5's 326ppi — 640 by 1,136 pixels in a 4in.
screen).
The Galaxy Note 10.1 weighs 597g for the Wi-Fi only version and 600g
for the Wi-Fi+3G option; it's a shade heavier than the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1
and significantly lighter than the latest iPad, which weighs 652g
(Wi-Fi) or 662g (Wi-Fi+3G).
Features : The Galaxy Note 10.1 runs on a 1.4GHz quad-core Exynos 4410
processor supported by 2GB of RAM — this is the first time we've seen
more than 1GB of RAM in any tablet or smartphone. Dual-band
(802.11a/b/g/n) Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are integrated as standard, and
you can have 3G mobile broadband as an option. There is 16GB of internal
storage, of which 11.66GB was free on our review sample. A microSD slot
lets you add more storage capacity.
Samsung uses a proprietary port for battery charging and PC
connection, which is irritating. There's no Micro-USB port, so you
really don't want to mislay that Samsung cable.
Charging
and PC connection is via a proprietary 30-pin connector on the
underside. The top of the device carries a SIM card slot, a headset
jack, an infrared port, a covered microSD card slot, a volume rocker and
the power button. HDMI out is via a separate (optional) adapter for the
30-pin connector.
The charger/PC connector is on the bottom edge of the Galaxy Note
10.1, with all the remaining ports and slots on the top. There's a
covered microSD card slot, a power button, a volume rocker, a headset
jack and a SIM card slot. The lack of an HDMI port for video out is
disappointing — you'll have to buy a separate £25 (ex. VAT) adapter for
the 30-pin connector to enable this.
Harking back to the days when infrared was common on mobile phones
and laptops, there's a small infrared 'eye' on the top edge of the
device — Samsung includes Peel Smart Remote, which turns the Galaxy Note
10.1 into a remote control for your TV.
The S Pen stylus lives in a housing on the chassis. Irritatingly, it
only fits one way into its housing — the law of averages suggests you
won't guess right every time.
The screen is entirely pen-friendly, and sweeping around and tapping
to run apps is quite intuitive. Obviously pen support within apps is
required to get the maximum benefit from this feature.
As you pull the S Pen out of its housing, a sidebar opens up offering
access to the pen-supporting apps. This is a great little feature, but
the list of pen-friendly apps is small: S Note, S Planner, Crayon
Physics, PS Touch and Polaris Office.
Polaris Office has been tweaked to allow handwritten or drawn notes
to be made within documents. S Note is a pen-based notes app that also
supports the keyboard, and can perform handwriting recognition. S
Planner is a diary app that will pick up your Google calendar, Crayon
Physics a pen-based game, while PS Touch is Adobe's PhotoShop Touch for image editing or drawing from scratch.
These applications are fine as far as they go, and you can download
more via Samsung's preloaded S Suggest, which offers up a range of apps
suited to the device and includes a separate selection of those with S
Pen support.
The Galaxy Note 10.1's screen is pressure sensitive, effectively
increasing the size of strokes as you press harder. The S Pen itself is
fairly solidly made, and feels quite comfortable in the hand. It has a
side button that adds some features: hold it down while tapping the
screen once takes a screenshot; hold it down and double-tap the screen
to launch the S Note app.
Samsung has included a number of interface tweaks. The keyboard, for
example, comes in three versions, which you switch between by pinching
inwards to call up a trio of thumbnails.
The standard QWERTY keyboard offers a separate number row and a
useful button that intuitively changes between '.com' and 'www.'. The
floating keyboard is smaller, while the split keyboard is ideal for use
when holding the device and tapping with your thumbs in landscape mode.
Another feature Samsung is proud of is the ability to work in
split-screen mode, with two applications open at once. This works well,
but is only available to the web browser, video player, Polaris Office,
Gallery, email and S Note app. The apps sit side by side in landscape
orientation, or top and bottom in portrait mode.
The Galaxy Note 10.1 also comes with a video player that will play in
'pop up' mode. You can overlay it onto any other screen and even resize
it. We're not convinced of its utility, but it's nice to see Samsung
innovating in this way and video playback was smooth when we tried it.
There's a fair bit of software in addition to the standard Android
4.0 bundle. We've already mentioned several. Others include AllShare
(Samsung's DLNA app), ChatON, Dropbox and a file manager. There are also
Samsung's Music, Video and Games hubs, plus a Learning hub. These
provide access to specific content and apps.
Performance & battery life : Samsung's quad-core Exynos
processor and 2GB of RAM help the Galaxy Note 10.1 handle side-by-side
apps and pop-out video comfortably enough. However, applications loaded a
little slowly and there was a certain sluggishness in response to
finger presses — we didn't experience the lightning-fast response we
were expecting given the spec. Even so, we don't see this as a
deal-breaker.
Battery life was good. The 7,000mAh Lithium Ion cell didn't perform
outrageously better or worse than the average and you ought to get
between eight and nine hours from it depending on how hard you push.
During our testing period we never felt it was powering down faster than
we'd expect.
Conclusion : The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 expands the
original 5.3in. Galaxy Note to a standard tablet size, presumably in an
attempt to appeal to a wider audience. When it works well, the S Pen
functionality is impressive and reliable.
However, we'd like to see more emphasis on handwriting recognition —
for example, the ability to write emails onto the screen and a
handwriting module in the keyboard. The quad-core processor can surely
handle this, and we'll be looking for it in the next-generation Note
device.
Prices :
There are currently no prices available for this product.
Pros :
Responsive S Pen stylus.
Quad-core processor.
Nice split-screen function.
The only 10.1in. tablet with pen input.
Cons :
Proprietary charge/PC connector.
No Micro-USB port.
No HDMI port.
Handwriting recognition could be supported more widely.